Recent Comments

June 2012

06/30/2012

Last fall, I wrote a piece entitled “No Place For Show My Your Papers Laws” which will be revisited here in light of the US Supreme Courts ruling on the Arizonia law. The state of Arizona started a wave of anti-immigration laws which have been replicated by four (4) states to date.

In response to the enactment of these laws, many organizations and individuals have taken decisive action to indicate that there is no place in a free nation for “show me your papers” laws. The ACLU and other national advocacy organizations remind us that that these anti-immigration laws[i] — already signed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and Alabama[ii] — pose a grave threat to our civil liberties.

It is the ACLU’s assertion that these “show me your papers” laws which were passed in Arizona, Utah, Indiana, Georgia and Alabama intrude on the federal government’s immigration authority and institutionalize racial profiling and discrimination in states and localities throughout the nation — in direct violation of the Constitution’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. As a result, the ACLU has brought class action suits to halt this wave of anti-immigration laws and is urging the Department of Justice to take immediate action to challenge these laws in court.

In July of last year, I wrote about Alabama’s anti-immigration law because it was termed the strictest anti-immigrant law in the nation. There is great opposition to the law not only within that state but also across our nation. Alabama’s anti-immigration law, HB56, took effect in September of 2011. Before the law could go into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Immigration Law Center, the Asian American Justice Center and the Asian Law Caucus filed a class action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Alabama’s anti-immigrant law (HB56)[iii]. After the suit was filed in this case a press release was sent out by the ACLU which read:

“Alabama has brazenly enacted this law despite the clear writing on the wall: Federal courts have stopped each and every one of these discriminatory laws from going into effect,” said Cecilia Wang, director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “Local Alabama communities and people across the country are shocked and dismayed by the state’s effort to erode our civil rights and fundamental American values.”

Many community leaders oppose the anti-immigration law for a range of reasons. “This legislation not only violates our values as a community but will also create astronomical costs at a time when our state can least afford it,” said Shay Farley, Legal Director, Alabama Appleseed. “If these legislators have their way, millions of taxpayer dollars will be squandered and our already underwater state economy will take another serious hit.”

In response to the class action suit brought by the ACLU against the State of Alabama, on September 28, 2011, a federal court judge issued a ruling in that case. Here are comments from the ACLU on the court’s ruling in that case, as they appear in the press release, “While the court has blocked some extremely problematic provisions from going into effect, thereby allowing Alabamians to continue engaging in everyday activities such as seeking employment and giving rides to neighbors, we are deeply concerned by the decision to allow some unconstitutional provisions to stand,” said Andre Segura, staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. “Laws that require police to demand ‘papers’ from people who they suspect appear undocumented encourage racial profiling, threaten public safety, undermine American values and have no place in our society.”

With that said, the ACLU is continuing the fight to halt the wave of racial profiling laws via filing law suits and other advocacy efforts. Currently, it is requesting that the Obama administration do its part to stop the anti-immigrant activists from putting these laws on the books. To assist in this effort to get Justice Department involvement in this issue, the ACLU is asking each of us to, Tell Attorney General Holder: There is no place in our country for “show me your papers” laws. Toward that goal the ACLU prepared a petition which appears on its website. Please join me in signing and circulating the petition entitled “No place in America for “show me your papers” laws!”.

For further information about anti-immigration laws, visit the website(s) for the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the National Immigration Forum, or the Asian American Justice Center.

[i] .Alabama is the fifth state to pass anti-immigration law. Some opponents of the law have deemedAlabama’s anti-immigration law to be the most comprehensive/extreme in the nation. To date, the anti-immigration laws have not been fully implemented due to legal challenges by a coalition of national advocacy organizations. The coalition members include: the ACLU, the National Immigration Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Asian Law Caucus, the Asian American Justice Center, Latino Justice PRLDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

06/28/2012

In March of this year, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act turned two years old. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed a sweeping set of health care reforms into law. It was a historic moment in our nation’s history. Barack Obama was the first American president that was able to deliver a comprehensive health reform. This was a goal which eluded his predecessors. Since its enactment, it has been highly debated and challenged in the courts.

Today, in a 5-4 ruling, the United State Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s signature legislation, The Affordable Care Act. Chief Justice John Roberts provided the critical swing vote in this ruling. We all deserve high-quality health care that we can all afford, and today brings this goal to reality.

The United State Supreme Court’s ruling means that:

Children will no longer be denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition, effective immediately.

Young adults can stay on their parent’s health insurance policy until age 26.

Adults will no longer be denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition, effective in 2014.

Health insurance providers can no longer cancel your policy because you get sick.

There can no longer be annual limits to health coverage. If your illness is incredibly expensive, you will no longer have to worry about reaching a limit to what your insurance company will pay.

Creates state-based marketplaces where people can easily compare and shop for insurance beginning in 2014.

Prevents insurance companies from charging women more than men and overcharging those who need care the most.

Gives hard-working Americans tax credits so they can afford insurance beginning in 2014.

Provides Americans with rebates from insurers who spend too much on CEO bonuses or advertisements.

Ends insurance company power to raise rates without justification.

There can no longer be annual limits to health coverage. If your illness is incredibly expensive, you will no longer have to worry about reaching a limit to what your insurance company will pay.

Is there a need for the 2010 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (hereinafter “Affordable Care Act”)? Let’s look at the number of uninsured in America. This nation’s deep economic recession and resulting decline in employer sponsored coverage contributed to a rise in the uninsured in recent years. Research indicates that these factors left fifty (50) million Americans without coverage in 2009.

While public insurance programs prevented some individuals from losing health insurance coverage, these programs do not reach all of those who cannot afford insurance. With that understanding, the Affordable Care Act seeks to address the gaps in our private-public insurance system. This new law requires most Americans to have health insurance and many will gain coverage through expanded Medicaid eligibility and subsidized private coverage for individuals with incomes up to four hundred (400) percent of poverty starting in 2014.

The United States Supreme Court’s ruling in this case was a victory for Americans concerned about access to healthcare for all. As stated in an article in Mother Jones, “The largest expansion of the American welfare state since the Great Society stands, upheld by the most conservative Supreme Court in decades. Yet the decision is not simply a landmark ruling, it is a monumental setback for a conservative movement strategy meant to sabotage, by all available means, the presidency of Barack Obama.”

The 2012 race for the White House is close—so is the race for the United States Senate. As the 2012 elections are fast approaching, there have been reports across the country of efforts being made to shrink the pool of Americans who will be able to vote in the years ahead. In thirty-eight (38) states and counting, strict new voter ID laws, restrictions on early voting and Sunday voting, and racially motivated bans on ex-felons have either been passed or proposed.

New voter restriction laws on the books or in the works could deny the right to vote to more than five (5) million Americans this year. The mostly conservative proponents of these new laws claim they are meant to prevent widespread voter fraud. But the numbers to back up this argument simply do not exist.

Let’s be clear – the real reason behind this spate of new laws is to suppress the votes of communities of color and other voter that tend to vote for Democrats – African Americans, Latinos, young people, the elderly and people with disabilities. If we are ever going to address the dire economic and educational challenges facing underserved communities, we must start with the vote.

As was aptly stated by President Johnson when discussing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.” With that knowledge, people across the country have rallied to stand up against the forces trying to block the right to vote for millions. The persons in attendance at that event understand that, if we, as citizens, do not take action to stop restrictions on voting, no one will.

Instead seeking to suppress the right to vote for millions of Americans, our politicians should be focusing on what really matters – creating jobs, jobs, jobs – and not devising ways to take away one of our most basic rights. Will you take a stand with me by against voter suppression laws. This fight won’t be easy… but there is no challenge more worth our struggle.

Voting is the one right that practically defines a democracy. The right to vote is one of the cornerstones of the United States Constitution. Nonetheless, during periods of history in America, millions of this nation’s citizens were denied this most precious right based on an immutable characteristic such as race.

Voting is a cherished right. Countless brave people gave up their lives to secure that right. Federal law guarantees it. Now it’s up to each of us to protect the right to vote and to make our vote count.

06/27/2012

Last week, the United States Senate passed the Farm Bill by a bipartisan vote of 64 – 35 thanks to the people that stepped up to send an email, make a phone call, and spread the word through social media. The Senate’s Farm Bill provides our nation’s food banks and other emergency food providers with an additional $174 million in funding for USDA food provided through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) over the next 10 years. This is heartening news for food banks and other charitable organizations that must meet the rising demand for food assistance.

It was extremely disappointing that an amendment to restore $4.5 billion in cuts to SNAP did not pass. The good news is that the Senate rejected other amendments that would have imposed even deeper cuts and harmful structural changes to SNAP by a significant, bipartisan majority.

The fight is not over. In fact, it’s just getting started as the Farm Bill moves to the U. S. House of Representatives. Now that the Farm Bill has passed the Senate, the House of Representatives is set to finalize its version and bring it to committee for a vote the week of July 9th. In the House of Representatives, even deeper cuts are expected for SNAP.

In the next few weeks, Hunger Advocates across the nation will have another opportunity to make their voices heard and protect vital hunger-relief programs like TEFAP and SNAP. Will you join us? I will be sending out more information and asking you to call your Member of Congress as that vote nears.

For those of you that sent emails and letters to your U.S. Senators, I thank you for helping to protect and strengthen programs that help to feed hungry Americans. Remember, without a strong federal commitment, we, as a nation, cannot hope to create a hunger-free America. Please stay tuned for more ways you can get involved in the coming weeks.

06/20/2012

Last month, the United States Senate passed the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2011 (S.414). This is an important step in upholding the rights of adolescent girls around the world and a critical step in preventing the harmful practice of child marriage, which often has devastating consequences for girls, their families and their communities.

It is estimated that worldwide there are over sixty million child brides. It has been reported that child marriage disproportionately affects the poor rural communities in the developing world, and helps perpetuate the cycle of poverty. When a girl marries before her eighteenth birthday, she has a greater probability of the following:becoming a victim of domestic violence; being deprived of education; and being exposed to health risks associated with early sexual activity including sexually trasmitted disease and complications from early child birth.

The legislation expresses the sense of Congress that: “…(1) child marriage is a violation of human rights and its prevention and elimination should be a U.S. foreign policy goal; and (2) expanding educational opportunities for girls, economic opportunities for women, and reducing maternal and child mortality are critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and U.S. global health and development objectives, including efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS. Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including through multilateral, nongovernmental, and faith-based organizations, to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of girls and women.” The legislation is now before the U.S> House of Representatives for consideration.

This legislation passed due to the tireless efforts of Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME). The legislation passed unanimously, which means all 100 senators supported passage of the bill. For further information on this legislation, you can visit www.congress.org.

06/08/2012

The House of Representatives has re-introduced the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA), H.R. 5905. I-VAWA calls for a comprehensive plan to prevent and respond to gender-based violence globally. First championed in 2007 by then-Senator Joe Biden, I-VAWA has not had an easy road in Congress.

This landmark legislation would hold perpetrators accountable, prevent, and respond to gender-based violence. When one out of three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused in her lifetime (with rates as high as 70 percent in some countries),I-VAWA addresses these alarming statistics by providing preventative and response measures such as: education and economic opportunities, social norm change campaigns, health and support services for survivors, and legal and judicial training programs that seek accountability.

06/06/2012

We know that all victims need protection and it is important to tell the world why on the National Day of Action. Congress must pass the real Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As aptly stated by the National Task Force to End Domestic Violence, doing nothing is not an option with VAWA.

Calls to our legislators in Washington, DC are essential and will determine whether or not the Real VAWA passes. With that said, the National Task Force to End Domestic Violence has issued “A Call to Action!” on Tuesday, June 26th to reauthorize the real VAWA. In these final days Congress must see a groundswell that cannot be ignored.

Every person concerned about the health and well-being of women is needed now to raise their voice and tell Congress not to go backward but move forward to reauthorize the Real VAWA. It is important to get a Violence Against Women Act passed that protects ALL victims. The calls, emails, letters, and tweets to date have worked and now is the time to take it a step further. It is important to show Congress how important the real Violence Against Women Act is to victims, survivors, advocates, and concerned citizens across the country.

Please save the date for a National Day of Action – June 26, 2012 on your calendar and tell your friends, families and everyone you know who cares about eradicating domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. All victims need protection and it is important to tell the world why on the National Day of Action. Congress must pass a Violence Against Women Act!

Don’t forget to tweet about VAWA using the hashtags #ReauthorizeVAWA, #RealVAWA and #VAWA.

06/03/2012

National Hunger Awareness Month is held in the month of June. The overarching objective of National Hunger Awareness Month is to educate communities nationwide that hunger exists throughout the year not just during the holiday season. Food security is necessary to lead a productive, healthy, and active life. It has been reported that more than forty-nine (49) million Americans lack reliable access to the food. Childhood hunger is a growing reality in America. In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the prevalence of childhood hunger is a national travesty and for many a well kept secret.

For families in need, the summer months present special challenges because they rely on the free and/or reduced school breakfast and lunch programs to provide essential meals for their children during the school-year. These feeding programs are either not available during the summer months or offered only at select school locations making it challenging if not impossible for many families in need to access. With that said, it is important for us to remember to make donations to local community food banks on a routine basis because countless families often turn to these institutions to help feed their families particularly in these very difficult economic times.

Approximately, one in four children in America is food insecure. As is aptly stated in the materials by Share Our Strength i “No Hungry Kid”, “…their bodies may not be rail thin, nor their bellies bloated like their counterparts in other countries, but they’re at risk of hunger all the same. They lack the energy to learn, grow, and thrive.” It is a well known fact that proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of healthy children.

Statistics on Childhood Hunger in the United States:

According to the USDA, over 17 million children lived in food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households in 2009. ii

20% or more of the child population in 16 states and D.C. are living in food insecure households. The states of Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas (24.3 percent) have the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food.(Cook, John, Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008. iii

In 2009, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (21.3 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (36.6 percent) or single men (27.8 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (24.9 percent) and Hispanic households (26.9 percent).v

These heartbreaking facts about the prevalence and the face of hunger in America have drawn the attention of many people including but not limited to Oscar winning actor, Jeff Bridges. Jeff Bridges is serving as the national spokesperson for the “No Kid Hungry Campaign”. To ensure that every child has the opportunity to achieve success, we must first ensure that their most basic needs are met.

To get involved in an anti-child hunger campaign or to gain further information on the prevalence of childhood hunger in America, visit www.share.org, www.feedamerica.org, and www.nokidhungry.org.

iIn 1984, Share Our Strength, was started by the brother and sister team of Bill and Debbie Shore started the organization with the belief that everyone has strength to share in the global fight against hunger and poverty, and that in these shared strengths lie sustainable solutions.